Former CEO of Drugstore.com joins Groupon

By Zak StamborManaging Editor

Groupon hires Kal Raman as senior vice president for the Americas.

Groupon Inc. has hired e-commerce veteran Kal Raman as its senior vice president for the Americas region.

In the newly created position Raman will oversee the daily deal operator’s operations in North, Latin and South America, responsibilities formerly held by CEO Andrew Mason. Rama will be based in the company’s Chicago headquarters.

Raman most recently worked as general manager of global fulfillment at eBay Inc. He has also worked as senior vice president at Amazon.com Inc., where he led the retail technology and marketing divisions. Prior to Amazon.com, Raman was CEO of Drugstore.com. He has also held numerous management roles at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Amazon is No. 1 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, Walgreen Co., owner of Drugstore.com, is No. 73, and Wal-Mart is No. 6.